12-year-old Dalit boy kills himself after being locked in cowshed by 'upper caste' woman
Shimla: A 12-year-old Dalit boy from the Rohru subdivision of Shimla district has died by suicide after allegedly being humiliated and locked inside a cowshed by an upper-caste neighbour. The incident has triggered outrage in the local community, with the police initiating an investigation under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
According to the boy’s uncle, Suresh Banta, the child had gone to a neighbour's house, where a woman accused him of defiling her home. She reportedly locked him inside a cowshed and later told the boy that his parents would need to give her a goat to "purify" the house.
The boy managed to escape and return home, where he consumed poison. He was admitted to Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital in Shimla, but succumbed to his injuries a day later.
Pranav Chauhan, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Rohru), confirmed that a case has been registered and that the investigation is ongoing. "We are relying on scientific evidence, as there were no eyewitnesses. A thorough probe is underway," he stated.
The incident has sparked widespread condemnation from the Dalit community and political leaders. Vinod Singhta, treasurer of the Koli Samaj, described the incident as a reflection of the entrenched caste discrimination in the region.
"A dog can enter an upper-caste household without issue, but if a Scheduled Caste person does, it is considered defiled. This mindset is deeply unfortunate," Singhta said.
State secretary of the CPI(M), Sanjay Chauhan, also expressed his anger. "If this boy died because of caste-based humiliation, it is a matter of national shame. Stern action must be taken to ensure this never happens again," he said.
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Mentally unstable man arrested for bludgeoning elderly mother, wife to death in Jharkhand
Lohardaga (Jharkhand) (PTI): A mentally unstable man was arrested for allegedly bludgeoning his elderly mother and wife to death in Jharkhand's Lohardaga district, police said on Sunday.
The incident took place in Dhanamuji village in Bhandra police station area on Saturday evening. The deceased have been identified as Rupi Oraon (62) and Somri Oraon (45), they said.
"The accused, Madwa Oraon, was arrested immediately after the incident. He allegedly attacked his mother and wife with an iron rod after an altercation over some issues, leading to their death on the spot," Lohardaga Superintendent of Police (SP) Sadique Anwar Rizvi said.
He said the bodies of both the victims were sent to Sadar Hospital, Lohardaga for post-mortem examination.
"The accused is mentally unstable. He has been receiving treatment for the last one year. He used to get agitated over small issues, and that might have been the reason behind the incident," another police officer said.
An FIR has been registered against the accused, Manoj Gupta, officer-in-charge of Bhandra police station, said.
